10 Times WWE Failed At Forced Emotion
1. John Cena's 2011 "Goodbye" Speech
Did anybody believe Cena was genuinely departing WWE when he was "fired" as part of the epically-counterproductive Nexus angle in 2010? They couldn't even find any teary-eyed five year olds in the crowd to exploit.
The live crowd, inexplicably, reacted to Cena's words - which is a testament to his incredible delivery, if nothing else. But anybody with the faintest insight into WWE's backstage machinations - i.e. those fortunate souls with one of these high-tech internet connections - knew that there was no way Cena wouldn't be gone for long.
He wasn't. He was back the very next week - in his garish gear, because f*ck realism, there is merchandise to shift - to resume hostilities with the faction who had ran him out of the company only eight days earlier.
Cena stopped at nothing in his transparent attempt to pull at the heartstrings. He referenced the birth of his brother's child, the joy with which his mother would greet his homecoming, and his career-long quest to win the approval of his heroes to convey his mixed emotions. But it was all a painfully obvious act, with the curtain ready to be reopened before it had even been drawn.
"To be honest with ya, I didn't think it would happen," was the prescient Cena's opening gambit.